Thread: Open comb recommends

Okay . . . so I am forced to come back to safety razors and abandon my Straights. With that in mind, I am looking for an Open Comb DE that is comparable in quality to either the Rockwell 6S or Karve razors . . . Watcha got?

Well, in my view the next best thing to straight razors are SE razors.

You might want to give them a try. I am particularly fond of the Gem Micromatic open comb and the Ever ready streamline.

You can buy the blades from Connaught shaving.

Really, they have improved the things so much you don't need to think about open or close types. You can get DE razors that shave almost as close as a straight. The Razorock wunderbar is a good choice and the Rex gives a great shave. The Mongoose SE is another good choice. Rockwell is starting to ship the model T so that's another possibility and it's the cheapest.

An OLD gellette open comb. Low cost on line used and top shavers. Hard to beat!

Originally Posted by Orville

Okay . . . so I am forced to come back to safety razors and abandon my Straights. With that in mind, I am looking for an Open Comb DE that is comparable in quality to either the Rockwell 6S or Karve razors . . . Watcha got?

When I cannot use a straight or Feather AC, I use either a Mühle R41 series (model number varies depending on handle, mine is strictly speaking an R101) or their stainless steel Rocca.

Some may say that the Mühle take on open comb is not a classic open comb, but it gives me results that come closest to a straight shave.

The Rocca is a closed comb, but the results, are not far behind the R41.


B

If you want immaculate it and finish find a Wolfman WR-1 OC in a wider than his normal blade gap. If you want a good OC at a reasonable price try a Fatip OC. Either will give a straight razor a run for it's money. The Muhle R41 is the same shave wise but I would not call it an OC design in the classic sense.

I like the Ever Ready series of vintage SE OC razors also. They will also give a straight razor a run for it's money shave wise. The only blades I will use in one are the Personna GEM PTFE coated stainless steel blades. They do not rust and are the smoothest I have used. They also last for more shaves than any DE blade I have used. I got them from https://connaughtshaving.com/gemss.html .

Bob

The GEM Micromatic Open Comb is easily found at rock bottom prices, and is a great very efficint shaver. If you have to have modern/new, Above the Tie sells an impeccably made Open Comb Slant DE, but that will cost more than the Karve ..

I just sold my Muhle R41, as I'm trying to thin the collection while divesting of pot metal razors. It was aggressive for sure

I infer that you are looking for a somewhat more aggressive DE than the typical. Have you thought about a slant?

I have the Merkur 39C Slant Sledgehammer and find it gives a very nice comfortable shave.

It uses regular DE blades, so you don’t have to look for specialty blades and it doesn’t cost much more than a Merkur 34C.

Thanks, guys . . . yeah, trying to avoid the plated pot metal tools. An OC is not a priority at the moment, it's just something to have in the "kit" so to speak. I have a Parker, but . . .

Since I’m not an everyday shaver, when it comes to safety razors I prefer open comb. My favourite is the same as Gasman’s suggestion, an old Gillette open comb (ball end) razor. It’s a sweet shaver, as well as small and light. I don’t find it to be too aggressive.

I use a Parker open comb for travelling, however, since it’s sturdier and more easily replaceable. This one is definitely aggressive, but as long as you’re mindful of your angles, it gives an incredibly close shave. And it’s very inexpensive!